I'm a geochemist. In the past ten years I've fixed mass spectrometers, blasted sapphires with a laser beam, explored for uranium in a nature reserve, and measured growth patterns in fish ears, and helped design the next generation of the world's most advanced ion probe. My main interest is in-situ mass spectrometry, but I have a soft spot in my heart for thermodynamics, drillers, and cosmochemistry.

Thursday, April 07, 2016

It has been a long time since I was active in the Canberra theatre scene.
This is a shame, because there is some amazing stage talent in this town, and
since becoming a father I’ve have hardly any time to even go to shows, much less
have any involvement. But I’m hoping to turn over a new leaf this year, and
Mrs. Lemming and I finally managed to organize a babysitter and get out to the
Q to catch Playhouse Creatures last weekend.

April de Angelis’s play is a historical fiction set during
the English restoration, when women were first allowed to perform in the Theatre.
Historical accuracy is sacrificed for the sake of getting many of the era’s
iconic performers on the stage together. This works very well.Not many modern Australians care that the
Bettertons and Nell Gwynn worked for rival companies (although both performed
with the Marshall sisters). But anyone who goes to the show will appreciate
having them sparring on the same stage.

The play tells a story of Ms. Gwynn’s drive to break into
the theatrical profession, and follows her and her contemporaries through the
various challenges that faced women working in the field at that time. There is
a strong feminist element to this, as the actresses navigate the fickle tastes
of theatre patrons, recriminations of spurned ex-lovers, witch hunts and fires.
The similarities between these struggles and the challenges facing modern
working women were effective, and added another of many layers to the
performance. Anyone interested in feminist takes on these pioneers of the stage
should definitely catch the show this week before it closes.

But even for those who are not drawn to the stage by
feminism, the play has a lot to offer. The roles are deep and challenging and diverse,
with the actresses playing historical actresses both back-stage, practicing
their craft, going about their lives in and around the theatre, and in
something like half a dozen plays within the play, as excerpts of various
period performances which the characters performed. Fortunately for the
audience, the roles were performed by some of Canberra’s finest actresses, with expert
direction from Jordan Best. As a result the show is worth the price of
admission simply to see great performers bringing challenging roles to life
with humor, yearning, and passion. Anyone wishing to see great performers rise
to the challenge of complex roles should enjoy this show.

Disclaimer:

All opinions, measurements, figures, and facts on this page are the personal opinions of Charles W. Magee, Jr, and do not represent the views of any of his employers: past, present, present-but-about-to-be-past, or future. None of the content herein has been subject to peer review, and should be treated with caution or derision. Any passing mention of OSHA code violations, criminal activities, unethical or unscientific behavior, or the clandestine Australian nuclear weapons program are fictions created to make rhetorical points, and do not represent the reality of my, or anyone else's, workplace. Do not attempt any scientific protocols described herein at home, with the exception of the chocolate chip cookie recipe. Do not apply the products of that protocol to individuals with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, egg, wheat, dairy, or chocolate allergies. Do not view this blog continuously for more than 45 minutes without stretching and taking other precautions to prevent computer-related chronic injury.
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